Water conservation system



Dec. 3, 1963 R. G. CALL WATER CONSERVATION sYsTEM Filed July 3l, 1962 INVENTOR ROYAL G. CALL '-'wI "f ATTRNEY lllllllllll mm hrmm @mw @m wirf .I

United States Patent C) 3,112,497 WATER CNSERVAHN SYSTERI Royal C. Cali, 2d N. rchard, Boise, idaho Filed duly 3l, i962, Ser. No. Zll 9 Claims. (Cl. 4 l

This invention relates to'a water conserving system, and, more particularly, to a system for using the same water lfor at least two separate purposes before it is disposed to a sewer or other waste outlet.

The specific embodiment disclosed herein sets forth water conservation system as it might be utilized in `a household plumbing circuit, although it is to be understood chat the system is applicable to other environments. Basically the system comprises means for passing once-used water from any or all of such household plumbing fixtures as ia bath tub, shower, wash-basin and laundry facility y mean-s of gravity ilew into a relatively small receiver tank from which tank the used water is further distributed, by instrumentalities to be described, to -a reiatively large storage Itank. The used water thus directed to lthe storage tank is athen made available as required to the flush vtank of a toilet where it is re-used for flushing the toilet. ln the event that insuillcient used water is lavtulaole in the storage tank to properly flush the toilet, other instrumentalities are provided to channel fresh water from the households main incoming water line to the flush tank whereby such fresh water alone or in combination with someused Water is made available for flushing the toilet.

The particular system disclosed is equally usable in households having basements or in households where no basement is found. Also, it is or" no consequence, with die system illustrated, whether `the toilet lush tank being furnished with ilushing water is located 'above or below the large stonage tank.

One object of the invention is lto provide a system for con erving water by usino a given portion of household water, which enters the household as fresh water, a plurality of times for `diierent purposes before it is discharged to the sewer.

Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby once-used water discharging from certain plumbing fixtures may be used 'a second time by another plumbing rotture.

Another object is to reduce overall water use, and, thereby, costs by re-using at least a portion of the iucorning fresh water being supplied a household or the like. (Throughout this speciiication md in lthe claims the term household is meant -to apply not only to private homes, but also to apartments, oices and, in fact,

any human habitat or construction wherein Za system of the type shown would be applicable.)

A yet further object of the invention is to prevent used water from entering yand possiblv contaminating a households fresh water supply. This is 'accomplished by providlngan air lock in the system as will be described.

Another object is to provide means forstoring a substantial quantity of used water for toilet llushing purposes. IUsed water throughout this specication and claims is 'deiined as water which was potable, i.e., fresh when it entered the household, but due to human rhrection yand use, has subsequently been caused to pass through a plumbing xture, such as `a Washbasin, shower, laundry facility or bath tub (or the like), such passage at least subjecting the originally fresh water to possible contamination if not actually contaminating same.

Other objects will be apparent from the remainder of the speciiicatrion and from the drawings.

ln 'che drawings which form a part of this specification:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic showing not to scale or my nove-l water conservation system, aud

FGURE 2 illus-trates the electrical circuitry which for .is a part of and is required to energize and operate the system of .FIGURE l. v

Referring now to FIGURE l of the drawings, a plurality of plumbing fixtures, namely, `a shower, wash basin and bath tub, [are shown connected to ya common drain line 3 which discharges used water from .the aforementioned fixtures .finto a relatively small receiver tank 4. The tank d is located sufficiently lower than the tub, basin, and shower outlets that used or waste water rom these fixtures flows by gravity into tank d. Also connected to tank d by means of drain line 5 is a laundry facility such 'as a clothes or dish washer which also discharges its used water to tank `by gravity flow.

rPhe top of tahkl is provided with an laperture through which passes a vertically extending movable lloat rod 6. To the bottom end of rod 6 is fixedly attached a buoyant float "1, and to the top end of rod 6 is attached a switchactuating camming plate S which is adapted to contact and cam `close the normally biased-open movable contact of a switch S-l located there-above. It will be noted that, due to the construction of the movable switch blade `and 'the plate 8, the float '7 (and elements 6 and d connected thereto) may rise slightly `after causing the initial closing or switch S-l without altering the closed condition of switch S-. Fixed to and `depending from the top o tank 4, land coaxial with the aperture therein is a tubular guide le in which rod o is located. Guide l0 constrains rod `aS to substantially vertical movement as it moves iin response to the level of the water in tank 4. yacting on lloat 7.

Communicating with the interior of tank l near the bottom thereof is one end of `a conduit llll in which is located fa check valve yl2 designed to pass lluid fonly in the direction indicated by the arrow. The other end of conduit ll communicates with and forms the fluid inlet for a pump 13 which is adapted to be driven by an electric motor ld when the motor is energized by 'a motor relay designatedl generally as l5. Relay l5 (see FlG- URE 2), more particularly, includes a coil la, two contacts ldb and l'Sc and an armature 15d. Armature 15d normally engages Contact l'c, but moves out of engagement with l'c `and into circuit-making contact with 15b upon energization of coil ldlc.V Coil 15a is energized whenever switch Sel is closed. Used water passes from tank yto pump Al by gravity ow.

Communicating with conduit lil downstream of check Vvalve l2 is `a branch line 17 which communicates with the lower end of a relatively large storage tank 18. Interposed between conduit l1 and tank 'l in line 17 is a first norm-ally closed conventional solenoid-actuated r`valve designated SV-l.

Located in the top or" `tank i8 is lan aperture through which passes `a vertically oriented movable Heat-rod i9. A tubular guide 20 attached to the side wall of tank 18 surrounds rod .l and insures vertical travel of the rod. To the bottom of rod l@ is rigidly yailxed a buoyant float 2l 'and to the top of rod l@ is rigidly atiixed a switchlactuating plate 22 which is adapted, when float 2l descends substantially to the bottom of 'tank ILS, to contact and close a normally biased open switch S-Z located between plate Zand top of tank ld.

Communicating with tank lll near the top thereof is a pipe 241 which leads to the sewer andi-is .necessary in case more used water entens ytank lll than is required in llushing the toilet. Also communicating with the top of bank lil, somewhat -above the level at which pipe 24 is joined to tank i3, is one end of a conduit 25 the oppositel end of which forms the outlet for pump 13. interposed in conduit 2S near the tank-connected end thereof is a second normally closed conventional solenoid-actuated valve` designated SV-Z.

Branching oil trom conduit between pump i3 and valve SV-Z is one end of a pipe 27. The other end of pipe 2'7 extends upwardly through an aperture in the bottom of a conventional toilet ilush tank 2S and connects at its top end by means or" a coupling to a conventional float-controlled, downwardly discharging till valve assembly, designated generally as 3l?. Assembly 3@ includes a valve (not sho-Wn) which is designed to pass flushing water into the tank when a fic-at di?, which is a part of assembly and is attached to the valve ereof, moves to the dotted line position shown, and ito prohibit such water ilow when the iloat 'all is in the solid line position. lnterposed in pipe 27 near the point where it branches off from conduit 2S is a check valve- 32 4which allows ow only in the direction indicated by the arrow.

Communicating with line 27 immediately down-stream from check valve 32 is one end of a conduit 33 which connects at its opposite end (not shown) to the main fresh water supply line of the household, or the like, in which my system is installed. interposed in conduit 33 near the point where conduit 33 joins line 27 is a conventional air lock 35', and also interposed in conduit E3, `but farther from the point where pipes 27 and 33 join than air lock 35, is a thi-rd normally closed conventional solenoid-actuated valve SV-3.

Located within toilet tank 23 and affixed to one side wall thereof is tubular guide 3d in which is located a vertically Imovable rod is iixedly attached a buoyant float 37 and to the top end of the rod 36 is iixedly attached a switch-actuating plate 38 which is adapted to contact and close a normally biased open switch 8 3 located between plate 38 and the top of tank 28 when `float 37 descends slightly below the position in which it is shown. Switch S-3 also serves as a stop to prevent lloat 37 from descending any lower than that level at which it closes S-S. (Switch S-l, similarly, but rcversely, could be -modiiied to serve as a stop for float 7 if desired. In such a modication, the cumming action between elements tl and switch S-l would be unnecessary.)

Communicating with the iiiiterioro flush tank 28 at the bottom thereof is a ilush pipe 39 through which flushing water passes to the toilet bowl (not shown). To prevent ushing water from owing through pipe 39 except when desired by a user, a conventional manually-operated slow-closing llush vmve 4l is provided which normally closes the inlet to pipe 39. Valve dl is iixedly attached to the bottom end of an elongated stern 42 which stein at its top end is pivotally attached to one end of a hand lever 43. Lever 43 is pivotally attached near its center to a bracket 44 which is rigidly attached to and extends inwardly from a side wall of the tank 2h, and the free end To the bottom end of rod 36 of the lever extends out through an aperture 45 in such A side wall whereby it may be manually depressed to lift valve di thereby allo-wing flushing water -to ilow from tank 28 into line 3%.

`FGURE 2 sets forth the electrical relationship between the switches S-l, S-'Z and Se, the solenoid-actuated valves SV-l, SV-Z, and SV-3, the motor-actuating relay 15 and the motor ld seen vin iFlGURE 1, and the description of the opera-tion of my system to follow hereinafter will clearly set forth how the electrical components of the system cooperate with the other elements enumerated hereinabove iin order to achieve the objects listed at the beginning of this speciiication. lt is pointed out that the switches in both FEGURES l and 2 are in the saine condition, ie., each .switch is shown open in both figures.

OPERATION My system is designed to conserve water by using the same water a plurality ci times in the following fashion: Let it be assumed that a person has employed one or more of the plumbing iixtures denoted laundry, oath tub, wash basin aud/ or shower in the conventional man-ner,

fi i.e., by drawing fresh usual inlet (not shown) from the main supply ina-in (not shown and after use allowing such water, previously fresh but now used, to drain from the fixture, In my system instead of draining directly to the sewer, the used water from any of the fixtures `denoted drains by gravity llow to the receiver tank Il either via drain line 3 or drain line 5. (The separate drain lines 3 and 5 are shown to illustrate that the lvarious plumbing lixtures denoted as draining to tank 4 need not be grouped together, but can Abe convenient.y located at widely separated locations and levels relative to the receiver tank 4 without altering the operation oi my system. The only criteria which dictates placement of such fixtures relative to tank d is that they be positioned so that they will drain by gravity flow into tank 4l.) Drainage of the used water into receiver tank #l causes tank d .to lill wheren upc-n iloat 7 rises carrying with it rod 6 and switchactuating plate S. When tank 4 has nearly filled, plate 8 has moved upwardly to the point where it cammingly engages the Amovable Contact of switch S-l, thereby closing switch S-i. Referring to FEGURE. 2, Iit will be noted that closure of switch S- simultaneously causes normally closed solenoid valve SlJ-E to open (thus establishing a flow path between pump 'i3 and storage tank lil through conduit 255) and motor 14 (in parallel with SV-Z) to be energized whereby pump i3 is actuated. Motor i4 is energized because closure oi switch S-l energizes the coil iSd of relay l5 which causes armature iSd to swing into circuit-making contact with contact lb. 4lump 13 thereupon draws in used water from the receiver tank L2 (by Iway of conduit ll and through check valve l2) and forces the incoming water out into conduit 25, through now-operi valve SV-Z and int-o the storage tank l. in the event that tank l@ should receive more oncenised water from the pump 13 than is required for toilet-ilushing purposes, such excess water ilows harmlessly through pipe 24 to the sewer (not sho-wn).

During the just-described operation of pump 13 used water ma under certain circumstances (to be described) enter tank 23, but used water cannot enter and possibly contaminate the fresh water in that portion yof conduit 33 which interconnects valve SJ-S and the main `fresh water supply (not shown), rst, because valve SV-3 is closed, and, second, because of conventional air lock 35 which, as used water attempts to `flow from pipe 27 toward valve Sli-3, establishes an air pressure acting against -the used water com-ing into conduit 33 equal in kforce but opposite in direction to fthe pressure of such incoming used water. Should ilush tank 23 be empty, or nearly empty, when pump i3 is actuated as a result Iof 'the closure 'of switch S-l (a condition that could occur as a result of the faulty operation of iloat 37 or switch S-3 as will be subsequently seen), used water would not only enter conduit 25 and conduit 33 (as far as the air lock 35) but would also enter and ilow through pipe 27 and lill valve assembly Si) thereby discharging used water into tank 23. The reason that flow `through Vpipe 27 md assembly 3@ would be possible under the stated condition is because, when tank 2S is empty, or nearly so, float lll is at or near the dotted line position seen in FIGURE l and the valve of assembly 39 which is controlled by float all is open. A short operation o pump i3 under such a condition (i.e., wherein tank 28 is initially empty), however, will soon cause enough used water to pass into tank 23 to raise iloat 4t) to `a level `where it Vwill close the valve of assembly Sil thereby lforcing all subsequent output from pump 13 to flow through conduit 25 into tank 13 until switch S-l is biased opened dueto the descent |of plate 8 caused by the descent of float 7 in tank 4. If tank 2S is full when pump 1.3 .is activated as aforesaid, iloat "all will be in the yfull l-ine position show-n and the-valve of assembly Sil will beV closed thereby preventing any used water from entering tank 23 at this juncture.

water into the fixture through the QA'. "L

Let it now be assumed that no part of the system is being activated but that tank 1S and tank 23 are as full as possible (considering the uppermost position of lloat 4t) and the location of pipe 24). Under these conditions should a user have need to flush the toilet bowl (not shown), by passing flushing water from tank 23 downwardly through pipe 39 to the bowl, such iiushing would be initiated, as is conventional, by the user manually depressing the free end of lever 43. T his action on the part of the user would open valve il yallow'mg flushing water to flow through pipe 39 to iiush the bowl. As water is discharged from tank 28 floats dll and 37 concurrently descend with the descending water level.

The lowering of lloat 37 soon causes plate 3S to close switch S-S which (see FIGURE 2) immediately `causes valve SV-l in circuit therewith to open thereby allowing replacement llushing water to ow from tank l through line 17 and then :conduit 1l to the inlet of pump i3. Simultaneously the motor iid, in circuit with switch S-3 is energized thus driving pump i3 which attempts to force the replacement ilushing water, being received from conduit lll, into conduit 25.thence into pipe 27, through check valve 3?, and thence into emptying tank 2S. (Note that valve SVeZ is closed at this time to prevent used water from merely recirculating from the bottom of tank i3, through line 17, conduit il, pump i3, and conduit back to the top of tank 1S.) However, such flow from the pump 13 to tank 2S is not possible until lloat 44B descends sufficiently to open the valve in assembly 3l?. With rapid discharge of the flushing water from tank 23 through pipe 39', however, float itl soon descends enough to open the valve in assembly 3@ and replacement iushing water is forced into tank 23 from pump 13. Pump l?" will thus continue to ml tank 23 until such time (after the user has released the flushing lever d3 and valve el has again closed od pipe 3%) that oat 37 is again raised upwardly to the point where switch S-3 opens. (At this juncture oat 4B will also again be raised to its full lin-'e position and the valve in assembly 3@ will be closed.) The tank 23 now contains suicient used water for a subsequent bowl ilushing operation which if initiated, as described heretofore, would cause the same sequence of events to be repeated as lon 7 as tank i8 `contains suiicient used water to supply the demands of tank 28.

ln the event that a user should actuate the flush lever 43 when there is not sufcient used water in tank i8 t0 refill tank 2S, then the following sequence of events would ensue. Actuation of lever 43 would unseat valve 4l causing flush water to liow through pipe 39 to the toilet bowl and, simultaneously, floats 37 yand dll would descend as described. Lowering of float 37 would again close switch S-S, open valve SV-i, and start pump i3 thereby drawing whatever remaining used water there might be available from tank i8 and forcing same to tank Z3. Assuming that there was, at the time of the actuation of lever 43, only half-enough used water in tank lS to properly reiill tank 28, then it will be seen that when tank 'i3 is devoided of used water float 2l will have descended to a point where plate 22 will have closed switch S-Z, Closure of S-2 causes valve SV- to open causing fresh water from the households main water supply (under main line pressure) to flow through conduit 33, and air lock 35, and then through pipe 27 and assembly Sil into tank 2S thereby supplying the other half of the replacement water needed to re-ll tank 2S to the point where lioats 37 and dil, respectively, terminate pump operation and close valve SV-L and close the valve in assembly 39; Switch S-Z and valve SSV-3, under such conditions, will remain actuated until enough used water is eventually received from tank 4 to lift float 2l suiciently to open switch S-Z.

It is to be understood that various changes might be made in the illustrated embodiment without departing from the spirit thereof. For example, other iuid level respon- 6 sive switch actuation means might be substituted for the float-type actuators described herein.

Having now set forth and described one illustrative embodiment of my invention, what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In combination: a first plumbing fixture having a fresh water inlet and a used water drain operatively associated therewith; a lirst tank having an inlet and an outlet, said inlet on said tank being located at a lower level than said drain of said ixture and said outlet ott said tank being located at a lower level than said inlet of said tank; rst conduit means joining said drain to the inlet of said tank; a pftunp having an inlet and an outlet; second conduit means joining the outlet of said tank to the inlet of said pump; a second tank having an inlet and an outlet, said outlet on said second tank being located at a lower level than inlet of said second tank; third conduit means joining the outlet of said pump to the inlet of said second tank; iourth conduit means joining said outlet of said second tank to said second conduit means; a toilet flushtank having an outlet at the bottom thereof and having a duid level responsive fill-valve assembly located interiorly thereof; fifth conduit means joining said third conduit means to 'said fill-valve assembly; manually operable valve means associated with said flush-tank for controlling flow through the outlet of said liush tank; a first normally open switch; first level-responsive means in said first tank for closing said rst switch when fluid in said first tank rises to a predetermined level; a second normally open switch; second level responsive means in said second tank for closing said third switch when luid in said flush tank falls falls to a predetermined level; a third normally open switch; third level-responsive means in said Hush tank for closing said third switch when fluid in said liush tank falls to a predetermned level, said valve of said lill valve assembly being opened when said fluid in said flush-tank falls to said predetermined level; a first normally `closed electrically actuated valve interposed in said third conduit means; a second normally closed electrically actuated valve interposed in said fourth conduit means; sixth conduit means joining said fifth conduit means to a source of fresh water; a third normally open electrically operated valve means in said sixth conduit; an electric motor drivingly connected to said pump; a normally open relay electrically connected to said motor; and electrical circuit means joining a source of electrical power to said first, second and third switches, said tirst, second and third valves, said motor and said relay whereby: closure of said irst switch only causes said second valve to open and said motor to drive said pump to draw used water from said iirst tank and discharge said used water to said second tank; closure of .said third switch only causes said second valve to open and said relay t0 energize said motor to drive said pump so as to draw used water from said second tank and pass sanieto said dush tank; and concurrent closure of said second and third switches causes said second and third valves to open and said pump to be driven by means of said relay and motor so that fresh water from said source is made available to said ifdi conduit to supplement the used water being drawn from said second tank land `passed to said flush tank.

2. The combination of claim l including means in said sixth conduit means, between said third valve and said th conduit means, for preventingused water from mixinLT with said fresh water in the portion of said sixth conduit means between said third valve and said source of lfresh water.

3. A water conservation system comprising: iirst andv second plumbing fixtures of the. type wherein water is supplied thereto through an inlet feeding thereinto for use and, after use, is-discharged to a drain; conduit means joining the drain of said first ixture to the inlet of said second lixture, whereby used water discharged from said tirst ixture is channeled to rand forms at least a portion of the incoming supply for said second iixture; and fresh Water supplying means commmicating directly with said conduit means for supplying fresh Water to said second fixture by way of said conduit means.

4. The combination of claim 3 including means interposed between said fresh water supplying means and said conduit means for preventing used water from entering said fresh water supplying means.

5. A water conservation system comprising: first and second plumbing fixtures, each fixture being of the type which is normally subjected to engagement by a human body during use and of the type wherein water -is supplied thereto through an inlet feeding thereinto for use and, after use, is discharged to a drain associated therewith, conduit means joining the drain of said first fixture to the inlet of said second fixture, said inlet of said second fixture being located at ya higher level than the drain of said first fixture; means communicating with said conduit means yfor forcing water discharged `from said first fixture to and out of the inlet of said second fixture, whereby water discharged from said first fixture is Aadapted to be forcibly channeled to said second fixture to form yat least a portion of the incoming supply for said second fixture; and means for supplying fresh water to said second fixture.

6. The combination of claim 5, including means spaced from said first and second fixtures and communicating with said conduit means for receiving and storing water discharged from said first fixture until such water is required by said second fixture.

7. The combination of claim 5 wherein said second fixture is a flush-tank-including toilet and wherein the fi .inlet of said second fixture is located Within said flush tank.

8. A Water conservation system comprising: first and second plumbing fixtures, said first fixture being of the type which is normally subjected to engagement by a human body during use and of the type wherein fresh water is supplied thereto through an inlet feeding thereinto for use and after use is discharged to a drain associated therewith and said second fixture is a fiush-tank-including toilet having a water inlet located in the hush-tank thereof; conduit means joining the drain of said first fixture to the inlet of said second fixture, whereby water discharged from said first fixture is channeled to and forms at least a yportion of the incoming water supply for said second fixture; and means spaced from said first and second fixtures and communicating with said conduit means for receiving and storing water discharged from said first fixture until said water is required -by said second fixture.

9. The combination of claim 8 including means for supplying fresh water to said second fixture.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 763,178 Hale June 21, 1904 1,143,128 Mills June 15, 1915 1,363,358 Montgomery May 13, 1919 2,858,939 Corliss Nov. 4, 1958 2,877,467 Cloud Mar. 17, 1959 

3. A WATER CONSERVATION SYSTEM COMPRISING: FIRST AND SECOND PLUMBING FIXTURES OF THE TYPE WHEREIN WATER IS SUPPLIED THERETO THROUGH AN INLET FEEDING THEREINTO FOR USE AND, AFTER USE, IS DISCHARGED TO A DRAIN; CONDUIT MEANS JOINING THE DRAIN OF SAID FIRST FIXTURE TO THE INLET OF SAID SECOND FIXTURE, WHEREBY USED WATER DISCHARGED FROM SAID FIRST FIXTURE IS CHANNELED TO AND FORMS AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE INCOMING SUPPLY FOR SAID SECOND FIXTURE; AND FRESH 